MLâ€™S MEDIA MUSINGS

•ESPN overreacted by apologizing for Brent Musburger's comments about Katherine Webb during the BCS title game. Even Webb said the apology was unnecessary. Were the comments a little awkward? Maybe. But they were hardly offensive. The reality is, ESPN and Musburger made Webb more famous than she probably ever would have been.

•The BCS title game between Alabama and Notre Dame was the second-most-watched event in cable history, drawing an average of 26.4 million viewers. That's a phenomenal number considering how one-sided the game was and a testament to the popularity of the participants. Had it been close, the game surely would have surpassed the 2011 title game for biggest cable audience ever.

•It's been fascinating to watch the NFL's coach and GM searches play out on Twitter. A lot of reporters are doing a lot of good work. That said, I can do without the petty sniping between writers that inevitably pollutes my timeline. Grow up, guys.

MICHAEL LEV/The Register

John Ahlers wasn't taking any chances. Having already been through a season-long NHL lockout in 2004-05 — and having lost a season's worth of paychecks — the Ducks TV announcer lined up a side gig.

Ahlers did college football play-by-play for the Sports USA radio network. The job took him all over the country, from Morgantown, W.Va., to El Paso, Texas, and back in time: Ahlers hadn't called a football game in about 25 years.

Ahlers appreciated Sports USA giving him the opportunity, considering the lockout could have ended at any time. He ended up working the entire season, capped by the Sun Bowl on New Year's Eve.

"I can't say enough how fortunate I feel," Ahlers said by phone Thursday.

As fortune would have it, the lockout ended a week later. Like everyone else involved in the game, from colleagues to coaches to players, Ahlers is excited to resume his regular job. (The truncated NHL season is expected to begin Jan. 19). He returns to the rink having learned something valuable about himself.

"When you do something different, you find out, 'Wow, I can do other things,'" Ahlers said. "It's important for us to challenge ourselves."

What else did our local hockey broadcasters do on their extended summer vacations?

Kings color analyst Jim Fox got to devote extra time to a small business he's launching. He and wife Susie are planning to release a wine label later this year. The single-vineyard pinot noir is called Patiné, which, appropriately, means "to have skated" in French.

The small business and various appearances and projects for the Kings kept Fox relatively busy. Still, it was strange for the Foxes that autumn did not revolve around a hockey schedule.

"Susie and I have been married for 31 years," Fox said. "Most every single year is built around the season. That's been our lives. That's what we know."

Fox's partner, Hall of Famer Bob Miller, said the time away from the game "just kind of felt weird." Miller got to spend more time with wife Judy. He got to attend Christmas parties he normally would have missed. But after 40 years of broadcasting Kings games, the season's rhythms and patterns become part of your DNA.

Of course, being the pro's pro that he is, Miller put his so-called "free time" to good use. Miller wrote a series of blog posts for the Kings website about hockey arenas that are no longer around. He also wrote new chapters on the Kings' Stanley Cup season for an updated version of his book, "Bob Miller's Tales from the Los Angeles Kings," due to be published around April 1.

But nothing was as gratifying as making appearances with the Stanley Cup itself. Miller estimates that he attended 14 Cup parties with his wife. It never got old.

"You'd get such great reactions from the fans," Miller said. "They'd ask, 'Can I touch it?' 'Yes you can.' 'Can I kiss it?' 'Yes you can.'"

The Kings finally will get a chance to defend the Cup next week. They'll raise a banner. They'll receive their championship rings. Miller will be there, and it won't feel weird anymore.

REMOTE PATROL

Last week's Clippers-Lakers game on ESPN delivered a 2.7 overnight rating, the network's best for an NBA regular-season game in almost two years. The game also posted a 5.7 rating in the L.A. market despite also airing on Prime Ticket and Time Warner Cable SportsNet. ... The Seahawks-Redskins wild-card game on Fox drew 38.1 million viewers, making it the most-watched non-Olympic telecast since the Academy Awards and the third-most-watched wild-card game of all time. ... MLB Network is launching a new series called "Costas at the Movies" in which Bob Costas sits down with the stars and directors of baseball films to discuss their work. After each 30-minute episode, MLB Network will air the movie. The five-part series begins at 5 p.m. Monday with "Cobb." Costas will chat with actor Tommy Lee Jones and director Ron Shelton. ...

Chris Berman and Bob Ley aren't the only original ESPN broadcasters still with the network. Tennis announcer Cliff Drysdale worked the first tennis telecast on ESPN, and he'll be part of ESPN2's coverage of the Australian Open, which begins Sunday. ... Former ESPN analyst and recently fired Boston Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine will be a contributor and part-time co-host on NBC Sports Radio. The new network just launched its weekend lineup and will expand to weekdays in April. ... CBS Sports Radio's weekend lineup includes ESPN radio alum Amy Lawrence, who'll be on at 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 7 p.m. Sundays. ...

Not only is Bill Walton broadcasting basketball games for Pac-12 Networks, he's going on a speaking tour of Pac-12 schools. Walton will be at USC on Wednesday and UCLA on Thursday. "There are no rules or limits," Walton said in a news release, "other than to be on time and to come with an open mind and a caring soul." ... As part of the 75th anniversary of the NCAA Tournament, fans can vote for the all-time March Madness players, team and moment at NCAA.com/marchmadness. Voting runs through March 24. The honorees will be announced April 5, the day before the national semifinals. ... Major League Baseball this week signed a three-year sponsorship deal with T-Mobile, so we'll be seeing even more of the lovely Carly Foulkes, a.k.a., The T-Mobile Girl. Wait, does the Register have to apologize now?

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